Around Town

Inmates at the Arlington County Detention Facility picked up their paddles once again to compete in a pickleball tournament this week — and this time they had some additional friends.

The Pickleball Friends of Arlington joined the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Parks and Recreation to host a sequel to last November’s jail pickleball tournament. The two-day competition started on Tuesday and ended yesterday with players on two winning teams receiving a $10 credit for their commissary accounts.


News

A single Pentagon City intersection has been the site of dozens of crashes in recent years.

Videos of vehicles colliding at the intersection of Army Navy Drive and S. Hayes Street proliferate on the social media account of local public safety watcher Dave Statter. In several, drivers exiting I-395 can be seen hurtling into slower-moving vehicles on Hayes.


Events

If you are a fan of both pirates and Taylor Swift, then boy does George Mason University have the event for you.

GMU’s campus at 3351 Fairfax Drive in Virginia Square is hosting a Taylor Swift dance party and screening of the film Pirates of the Caribbean tomorrow (Friday) evening.


News

Several projects approved in Arlington’s inaugural round of historic preservation grants may need some more time to wrap up.

The Arlington County Board on Saturday will consider extending agreements with five projects that were among the first to receive county dollars last year from the Historic Preservation Fund. The grant recipients originally agreed to finish by June 30, but due to “unpredictable delays,” a county report recommends pushing back the deadline to Dec. 31.


News

(Updated at 10:35 a.m.) Democratic candidates are racking up tens of thousands of dollars in donations, as well as numerous notable endorsements, as this year’s local races heat up.

Three Arlington County Board contenders are leading the pack in terms of donations for this election cycle, campaign finance reports show. Natalie Roy has raised about $41,000 so far, JD Spain has raised $37,000 and Tenley Peterson has raised $23,000.


News

Arlington a ‘New Powerhouse in AI’ — “Arlington, VA, traditionally known for its strategic importance in government and defense, is rapidly transforming into a thriving hub for artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. This shift is propelled by a unique confluence of federal agencies, industry leaders, and a burgeoning tech ecosystem.” [Unite.AI]

Bonus for Public Safety Personnel — “Arlington County’s Board has proposed a one-time bonus for first responders amid a staffing crisis impacting police, firefighters, and paramedics. For months, the unions representing these workers have sounded the alarm on the staffing shortage that they say puts the county’s public safety in jeopardy and has resulted in member burnout.” [WUSA 9]


Events

People will fill some local streets for the “Earth Day Every Day” festival this weekend along Langston Blvd.

The festival is taking place this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m in front of Lee Heights Shops (4500 Cherry Hill Road). Earth Day itself is this coming Monday, April 22.